Random musings from an extreme bibliophile.

Tag: back list

In the wonderful world of Twitter you never know what delightful (or possibly crazy) conversations you might happen into while scrolling through your feed. This past evening I entered into a wonderful chat with @MMOGC (on Twitter or her site: mmogamerchick.wordpress.com) about various authors we are looking forward to reading. I had mentioned I wanted to read more backlists this year with a focus on diverse reading.

In previous years, I typically suffered from “Front Table Syndrome;” failing to seek out more titles and authors outside my stagnant reading habits. I wanted to break out of the box and @MMOGC suggested checking out the Worlds Without End Reading Challenges. Whew nelly, what a fun site!

It did take some time to add the books I wanted to read as part of the challenges. But it wasn’t impossible (hint, after you search for the book click on the actual title to add to your lists by clicking submit – took me a minute to figure that one out). I signed up for both the “Women of Genre Fiction” and “Clear the Shelves” challenges. “Women of Genre Fiction” involves reading 12 books by new-to-you woman authors and “Clear the Shelves” involves reading 15 books, plus five reviews, that have been gathering dust on your bookshelves.

I used a lot of the titles I listed in my Back List Party post from a few weeks ago along with some new ones I have come across that sound intriguing. The idea of joining the challenges with other avid genre readers is exciting and pushes me to really focus on every moment where I could be reading.

It will be fun to interact with the other readers in the Worlds Without End forums and those participating on Twitter. Chatting about books is pretty much the highlight of any day and I look forward to more actively sharing my reading in this coming year.

As I posted yesterday, I am planning on focusing more time with back list titles for my personal reading this year. Despite the time suck that will be graduate school, I am hoping to really dig deep and get a LOT of personal reading done as well as required reading. (I haven’t even set-up my TV in the new place specifically to avoid the other major time suck.)

And, since so many are sharing their “Shiny and New I Want to Read in 2015” lists I thought I would share my “Yeah, I am SO Behind on Reading” list. This is not an exhaustive list, more a sampling of what I am making a priority in the overall list in the coming year. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some of the titles I hope to inhale this year:

Novels:

Of Blood and Honey (and) And Blue Skies From Pain, both by Stina Leicht

Published in 2011 and 2012 respectively these novels bring an interesting political twist to a supernatural conflict. With a premise of Ireland + the 70s + supernatural forces you get something I can’t wait to read. Paul Weimer shared his 2015 list, http://skyseastone.net/jvstin/?p=4064, and he mentioned Stina Leicht’s new title Cold Iron coming out later this year and it looks really intriguing. But I want to treat myself to her early titles first.

Described as a “woven tale of adventure, magic, and the power of the human spirit,” this is a book I need in my life. Karen Lord has a new title coming out this year, The Galaxy Game, which will be her third novel I believe. I have heard so MANY wonderful things about her debut Redemption in Indigo, published in 2010, I decided to start here, then move to her second novel The Best of All Possible Worlds, first published as hardcover in 2013.

“The rich and privileged have fled the city, barricaded it behind roadblocks, and left it to crumble.” I am dying to know what happens in the city and so this is a MUST read for me. I honestly can’t recall where or when this title was brought to my attention but it was originally published in 1998 and I can’t wait to hold this in my hands. I have added her entire back list to my Wish List.

Lagoon is a first contact novel that doesn’t happen in the U.S.. Yes, please. I will read that all day long. Who Fears Death takes place in a post-apocalyptic Saharan Africa and looks to be a very powerful read, originally published in 2010. Paul had this on his list (linked above) as the U.S. edition is coming out this year. I am too impatient to wait plus I LOVE the UK edition cover so I am ordering now to enjoy sooner rather than later.

Gary during episode 209 of the Coode Street Podcast stated this book was “striking” and that Brissett was doing really interesting things with gender roles. I found this incredibly intriguing and added it to the list straight away. This book came out in December of 2014 so I hope EVERYONE picks this up.

Something described as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games” from the perspective of a BEE?! Yeah, I am in. I heard about this first via Simon Savage‘s Twitter feed and he was beyond excited about this novel.

Julie is an amazing person online that I recent e-met via Twitter. She suggested this as a good entry point. It is a best-selling Amazon horror title and has gotten great reviews as an original take on vampires – and I love me some vampire horror!

I waited for the omnibus edition to come out so I could have all the books and the new novella that came out at the end of 2014. I have heard so many insane things with plot twists and power struggles I have been eagerly awaiting this hefty tome for some time. And it is indeed hefty at 1,453 total pages. I bought it the week it was released but I think for actual reading I might treat myself to the ebook version as well!

I was told this is a wonderful place to start for Martha Wells so I purchased the ebook and a hardcover edition (the hardcover has such beautiful art I couldn’t resist). Anything where “traces of a necromantic power that hasn’t been used for centuries” is involved has my absolute attention.

I was pulled into Frohock’s shorter and recent work/collaborations, but I have long been wanting to go back and read this novel, originally published in 2011. The cover art alone is gorgeous and intriguing. Plus, a novel described as “a compelling tale of faith rediscovered, trust regained, and hope reawakened” is something I could use more of this year.

Everyone I know has already read Hurley’s The Mirror Empire that came out in 2014 and is anxiously awaiting Empire Ascendant, the sequel due this year. While I do own The Mirror Empire, I have been waiting to read it – I am weird in that I like to binge read a whole series at a time, so I wait. That being said, I have heard Hurley on various podcasts (including the Coode Street Podcast) and absolutely adore the way she talks about world-building. I was torn about waiting and then I discovered this trilogy! This trilogy also received rave reviews for Hurley’s world-building prowess and with a keen change-up of a matriarchy to boot I am more than happy to start here.

I love author collections that give me a glimpse to the various voices carried within. This looks like a great collection originally published in 2006 with a wide range of story material. I am REALLY excited for this one.

I have been intrigued by all the titles in this series(five thus far) because it is set in one of my favorite time periods, the turn of the 20th century. Add to that a mystery and magic and I am already hooked. Elizabeth Bear has a new title coming out next month, Karen Memory, that is getting a lot of buzz but I want to relish some earlier work first. After these titles I think I will pick up Carnival as my first Bear novel. There is just so much to pick from, I am really excited about Bear’s back list!

What better way to discover authors you might have missed than digging into three of the Nebula Award collections??! I can’t think of one and I might continue to work my way back to collect them all over time.

This is a collection of short stories from Swedish author Karin Tidback, the U.S. ebook published in 2012. This is a collection I accidentally stumbled across while searching for something else, so fortuitous! It is described as a “feast of darkly fantastical” and that pretty much sums up some of my favorite fiction ever. I have a feeling I found another author to be obsessed with for life!

Yoon Ha Lee is an author I found on Twitter and sought out her debut collection based on other Twitter comments. I have had this on my TBR list since last year (it was published in 2013) and this is the year I will finally make the time to feast upon these stories described as “wonderfully fresh and deeply ancient.”

Errantry: Strange Stories by Elizabeth Hand

Elizabeth Hand was recommended to me by John Stevens via one of her novels, Available Dark. However, when I came across this title, published in 2012, while creating my extremely long Small Beer Press wish list I knew this is where I would start. Stories that “tease apart the dark strangeness of everyday life” are EXACTLY why I read short fiction. You get that glimpse into a moment, a portion of time, that is very fleeting but sticks to your bones. I am incredibly excited to pick this one up.

I have heard so many amazing things about Johansen’s character development and world-building from her Marakand series (The Leopard is the first in the series published last year), but I wasn’t sure if that was where I wanted to start. Then I came across this small collection published in 2008. I purchased the short story collection knowing I was already excited about the author’s current work but I wanted to dig deeper before plunging into such an epic world. This seems like a perfect fit.

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I could keep listing more novels and short story collections to include but I think the above lists give a good idea of what I am making a priority for my 2015 reading. I am playing catch up and will end up behind from all the books coming out this year. But I will keep a list and continue my passion for the Back List!

What about some of your favorite authors? Have you explored all they have written? What about newly discovered authors? If it wasn’t a debut title you just discovered you should seek out their back list while waiting for their next release. All the cool kids are doing it!

I have linked all the author names to their websites. If you are intrigued by any particular titles you can easily seek out even MORE and keep up to date with anything new forthcoming. Here is to happy reading and exploring through the Forest of the Back List.

Also, if you can think of any additional titles I might enjoy, or, want to add something you are looking forward to reading please feel free to share in the comments below! I love talking about books!

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